Montana court Record Information Online

Montana Court records

Accessing Montana Court Records

Consider yourself to be lucky if you want some information that is not readily available in Montana. You will probably get it from the courthouses in the state. The state is known for detailed maintenance of Vital Records, and when you ask for it, the state is willing to share it with you as well. Actually, the state is legally obliged to maintain records and share it with the public because the information here is in the public domain.

What Information Can You Find?

You can find all types of information in these court records. You can get a copy of the record held by the army, navy and military. You can check whether a person has any criminal or arrest record and whether he/she has ever been sued or not; you can get police records and can have access to business records to get an idea about the reputation of the company. Plus, you can get birth records, death certificates, divorce decrees, and licenses/certificates of marriage. Information about a person that is available includes his/her age, current and previous phone numbers and postal addresses and more.

Information available from the Montana Supreme court includes the issued opinions, special writs, selected orders, as well as briefs that were filed.

Some Restrictions

Usually most of the data is available to you. However, you might not be able to access certain information as they are confidential. And so, you cannot view the contents of these records and will not definitely get a copy of the record.

You are also expected to take care of the record just the way you receive it. You cannot sell the information that is there in the record or use it for any other purpose. If in case you are found doing this, you will certainly be penalized.

Eligibility for Accessing the Records

According to the US Freedom of Information, it is OK for most people (with some limitations) to view the court records. The states must honor this. Montana too abides by this rule.

However, the authorities are expecting something from you before the record can be made accessible to you. You will have to convince them about your connection with the individual concerned, and about the case. You must also convince them about the reason why you want the record. Plus, you must provide a photo ID proof.

How to Access Montana Court Records?

You can search by the docket number, the name of the person or the topic. If you require a specific record, you must head to the particular court where the case was heard or filed. Make your application at the Clerk's office. You can apply in person, over fax and over the phone.

Here, are some of the offices where you can get your Montana court record:

Montana Water Court

601 Haggerty Lane

P.O. Box 1389

Bozeman, MT 59771

(406) 586-4364

Montana Workman's Compensation Court 1625 11th Ave.

P.O. Box 537

Helena, MT 59624

(406) 444-7794

Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court

Room 323, Justice Building

215 N. Sanders

P.O. Box 203003

Helena, Montana 59620

(406) 444-3858

Montana Court Records

Montana Court Records and Dockets

About Public Access to Montana Court Records

In Montana, the state has created an online portal to help the public access the Montana Supreme Court records database. All other requests for court information, such as those from the Circuit Court or Justice Court, must go directly through the Clerk of Court for the court where the case was filed.

How to Search the Online Database

The online database for Montana Supreme Court records can be searched by specific indexes, such as court case number, party name, recent cases within the last 30 days, and an advanced search option.

What Information is Available in the Montana Supreme Court Database?

The general public can access information on Montana Supreme Court cases at any time of day through the online portal. Information available from the Montana Supreme Court includes opinions issued, selected orders, special writs, and briefs filed by the parties in cases.

What Information is Not Available?

The online portal does not contain all information about a specific case. Cases from District Courts, Justice Courts, City Courts, and Municipal Courts are not found on this database. Other examples of information not found in the online database include exhibits and appendices briefs filed by the parties in a case, orders denying special writs, trial transcripts, transcripts of oral arguments before the Montana Supreme Court, and court documents and cases prior to 1980.

Browser Requirements for the Montana Supreme Court Online Database

The online database has been designed to be used with the Internet Explorer browser. Those individuals using a Mozilla Firefox browser who are having trouble may download an add-on IE Tab from the Mozilla website.